The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
